Apple is rolling out iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate and watchOS 27 through Software Update. The releases center on Siri AI, a more capable version of Apple’s assistant that can work across apps and use personal context, alongside performance claims, a refined Liquid Glass interface and updates to Photos, Safari, Find My, CarPlay, health and productivity tools.
Siri AI is initially available in English and carries daily usage limits. Compatibility with a new OS does not guarantee access to every Apple Intelligence feature, which requires newer hardware. Apple is also not initially offering Siri AI on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch in the European Union amid its regulatory dispute with the European Commission.
Siri AI expands across Apple’s platforms
On iPhone, Siri AI can hold more natural conversations, answer open-ended questions, search for current information online and draw on personal context held on the device. It can locate photos, emails and notes without users having to specify the relevant app or date. A dedicated Siri app stores conversations and allows a discussion begun on an iPhone to continue on an iPad or Mac; users can also adjust the assistant’s voice, pace and expressiveness.
The assistant adds screen awareness and can perform actions in Messages, Music, Reminders, Mail and other compatible apps. A Siri camera mode paired with Visual Intelligence can identify objects, products, meals and documents through the camera, then provide information or trigger relevant actions. That camera feature requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Siri AI can generate text in most text-entry fields and emulate a user’s writing style, punctuation and tone in Mail and Messages. On iPad, Visual Intelligence also supports selecting or circling an on-screen item with a finger or Apple Pencil to request information, find similar images or begin an action. On macOS, Siri AI is integrated into Spotlight and can use files, photos, messages and emails as context.
Apple Intelligence features in Photos include Spatial Reframing or Reframe, Extend for generatively expanding an image’s edges, and Clean Up for removing larger objects. Image Playground now supports photorealistic image generation and image transformations based on a description, while Shortcuts can create an automation from a description of the desired result.
Safari can organize tabs by topic and add a Notify Me option that monitors a page for changes such as a price reduction or a product returning to stock. Passwords can identify weak or compromised credentials; a later update is intended to let it automatically change passwords on compatible websites. Mail also gains a new ranking system intended to surface relevant messages and search results.
Liquid Glass receives more consistent refraction, stronger contrast and clearer icons across the new releases. On iPhone, Apple says apps can open up to 30% faster, new photos can load into the library up to 70% faster, and AirDrop transfers can be up to 80% faster. A slider lets users choose a nearly transparent or strongly tinted interface treatment.
Find My now supports a precise end date and time for location sharing, as well as a way to pause sharing with selected people until the end of the day without sending a notification. iPhone Handoff can move the same phone number between two iPhones without interrupting activity, though it depends on carrier support and may require an additional plan. Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile are among the first confirmed carriers.
In the United States, Wallet and Messages can split a bill using Apple Cash: a user photographs a receipt, Siri identifies items, taxes and tips, and participants select their portions. CarPlay also gains support for apps that let users find and select video from the vehicle display. Playback is restricted to when the vehicle is parked and requires a compatible car; video can also arrive over AirPlay from an iPhone.
Other iPhone additions include a custom equalizer for AirPods, GymKit on iPhone, full-resolution shared iCloud albums with easier Android and Windows access, automatically generated and translated captions, and smarter Home controls. HomeKit Secure Video can combine notifications, describe camera events and search recordings by what happened, while compatible cameras can record and stream in 4K.
iPad, Mac and Apple Watch changes
iPadOS 27 adds faster file navigation and transfers between an iPad and external storage, which Apple says can be up to five times faster. It also introduces an optimized CPU scheduler, smoother Wi-Fi-to-cellular switching, quicker app launches and AirDrop transfers, an always-visible menu bar option, iPhone-app resizing and app names in the status bar. Calendar can create or edit an event from a description, while Photos can turn selected photos and clips into a customizable slideshow that can be exported as a video.
The iPad update expands parental controls with Ask to Browse, requiring child accounts to request approval before opening a new website. Parents can select available system apps, set separate periods for entertainment, games and social networking, and schedule apps by day and time. Communication Safety can intervene before explicitly violent images or videos are shown, extending its previous nudity protections.
macOS 27 Golden Gate is the first major macOS release with no support for Intel-based Macs, and it also ends support for Rosetta, the technology used to run Intel-built apps on Apple silicon. macOS 26 remains the final major release for Intel Mac owners. Golden Gate adds Visual Intelligence for screenshots, including images and PDFs, generative photo editing, natural-language Calendar controls and Call Context information during calls to businesses.
For compatible ultrawide displays, macOS 27 supports higher resolutions including 5K at 120Hz and is designed to better retain display arrangements after reconnection. It also adds automatically generated and translated captions, full-resolution shared iCloud albums, a new video-podcast experience and pull-to-refresh gestures in apps including Safari, Mail, Podcasts and Calendar.
watchOS 27 brings Siri AI to supported watches, subject to both the watch model and paired iPhone. The app grid becomes dynamic and emphasizes frequently used services, while a thumb-and-index-finger gesture can select a Smart Stack widget one-handed. Smart Stack gains more contextual suggestions, such as a contact’s birthday, a parked-car location, alarm changes before a holiday and quick access to a transit card.
Workout Buddy uses activity history to deliver motivation and pace, distance and duration information, and can work without an iPhone nearby on compatible models. watchOS 27 also improves treadmill walking and running distance estimates, syncs Fitness step counts with Health, and adds Cycle Tracking patterns that may suggest the onset of perimenopause, plus logging for menopause-related symptoms. Find Devices, Find People and Find Items are consolidated into a map-focused Find My app.
Apple says watchOS 27 improves Liquid Glass contrast, starts music playback faster and can suggest battery-life optimizations. It also adds child-account options and Apple Watch For Your Kids setup features. The company has not detailed broader regional availability for its restricted AI features beyond the initial European Union limitation.
Compatible devices
- iPhone 18 Pro
- iPhone 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
- iPhone 17e
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11 Pro models and iPhone 11 Pro Max models, alongside iPhone 11 models, as listed by Apple in the iOS 27 compatibility range
- iPhone SE, second generation and later
- iPad Pro, fourth generation and later, including M1 or newer models
- iPad Air, fourth generation and later, including M2 or newer models
- iPad, ninth generation and later, including A16 models
- iPad mini, sixth generation and A17 Pro models
- MacBook Neo (2026)
- MacBook Air with Apple silicon, from 2020 or later
- MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, from 2020 or later
- iMac with Apple silicon, from 2021 or later
- Mac mini with Apple silicon, from 2020 or later
- Mac Studio, from 2022 or later
- Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023)
- Apple Watch SE 3
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Series 11
- Apple Watch Series 12
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Ultra 3
